1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and an image processing system which changes a tone of an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the widespread use of digital cameras, storing photos as digital image data is now quite common. Photos can be browsed in a digital camera used for capturing an image or in a personal computer storing captured image data and thus, there have been changes in how to enjoy photos. First, such technology and the evolution of a photo culture will briefly be described with reference to patent documents.
In the environment described above, so-called digital photo frames have been realized and popularized to be able to enjoy image data in the same manner as printed photos (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2009-141678).
In such a digital photo frame, photos may be reproduced and enjoyed at a time when one chooses, shown as a slideshow. The digital photo frame can be used as an album terminal to save image data.
Moreover, a digital photo frame capable of connecting to a network and transmitting/receiving mail is proposed (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2010-61246).
Also, a digital photo frame that allows plural persons to browse so that the display is changed depending on the browsing person by registering information about the number of persons is proposed (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2010-86194).
Further, a technology (photo-to-painting conversion technology) that enables generation and display of a tone of an image of a different taste (for example, a painting tone), though based on an original photo, by performing image processing thereon is proposed (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 08-44867, U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,868).
Further development of the technology of Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 08-44867 leads to a technology to convert a photo into an artwork of high artistic quality by extracting features such as color information and brush touch information from an image of a painting actually painted by a painter and adding extracted features to a captured photo (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-213598).
Also, a technology to change a quality of image data whose tone such as a painting tone has been converted is proposed (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. 01-46905).
Further, a technology capable of, when plural images are sequentially switched and displayed like a slideshow, effectively preventing an image inappropriate for display from being inadvertently displayed is proposed (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2009-288507).
On the other hand, because a memory card has increasingly more capacities and lower prices, a case when a family takes photos in plural memory cards by plural digital cameras and piles up photos so that the memory cards are not sorted out is increasing. If it is unknown who took what photo in which memory card, it becomes necessary to check each memory card by reproducing the memory card in a camera or digital photo frame and then to sort out photos for separate folders for storage in a personal computer or the like.
Thus, a technology to automatically sort out photos for each folder according to preset conditions to efficiently sort out photos according to the sorting content when a large amount of images is stored in a personal computer is proposed (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2009-87099).
Such a conventional digital photo frame has an issue of missing something because only images contained the digital photo frame or recorded in a memory card are simply displayed.
Thus, a proposal is made to connect a digital photo frame to the Internet to deliver various content images for a charge or free of charge (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-91675).
According to the technology of Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-91675, delivery of plural genres of free or charged content such as news and advertisements can be received by the digital photo frame.
A kind of content delivery delivers live video of remote live cameras. If the content delivery technology and the above photo-to-painting conversion technology are combined, live video can also be converted into pictorial video. Live video includes image data of real-time dynamic images or still images switched at fixed intervals uploaded to the server and video of a predetermined period, for example, five minutes, displayed repeatedly to provide a sense of dynamism.
In the foregoing, the evolution of a photo culture and the technical background of digital photo frames have been described. In the trend thereof recently, instead of standalone products, products that can be connected to a network are increasing (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 2010-61246 and 2003-91675).
Also, a printer that, in addition to viewing in a screen, prints photo-to-painting converted images is proposed (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-84520).
Thus, doing photo-to-painting conversion and printing as illustrated by Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 08-44867, 2004-213598, 01-46905, and 10-84520 by using a network can be considered.
However, photo-to-painting conversion has a problem that a longer time is needed for conversion processing with a higher level of algorithm.
Also, a standalone personal printer has a problem that it is difficult for the printer to express a photo-to-painting converted image beautifully, and takes a long time to print.